The Town of Dortmund Review (catappr)

Pros

Get there by plane, car, train or bus.

Cons

Sometimes the city center gets crowded and too noisy because of the fans of the Borussia Dortmund soccer team.

Full Review

Dortmund is a wonderful
urban area with rich history and an important industrial legacy. It
was first mentioned in the 12th century, during the rule of the
famous Emperor Barbarossa (his real name being Frederick). Before,
the settlement was nothing more than a insignificant community, with
nothing exciting happening. In 1150 it was burned down to the ground
in a big fire. It was not known if the fire was natural or
intentional, but the thing we know is that Emperor Barbarossa decided
to reconstruct it and declare it his official home. He and his entire
court lived in that town for no less than two years.

In 1220 the city was
proclaimed "imperial free", which implied no more
tribute collecting and no more civilian enrolling for the military
forces of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. But this term,
the Holy Roman Empire, should not misguide you into thinking that the
Romans were still in Germany in those times. This name was given
simply because it underlined the religious characteristic of the
Empire and its ruler.

From that moment on, the
town (which had begun to be called in scholars' notes as
"Dorpmunde") begun to be very important for the
trading organizations of the Hanseatic League, which was an alliance
of traders who had a trade monopoly on a large area of Germany, and a
number of districts in the Netherlands.

Closer to our days,
during the industrial revolution, Dortmund became a mining city, due
to the large coal and metal deposits in the surrounding area. They
produced large amounts of coal and steel ever since, and this
determined a steady growth of the town. Nowadays there are almost six
hundred thousand citizens in this place, placing it no 7 in the
country in terms of population, and number 34 in Europe.

There are numerous things
to see in Dortmund, and it would seem to me that the most important
is the marvelous Westphalian Industrial Museum Zollern Colliery,
which promises to accompany visitors on an unforgettable journey in
the evolution of our technology. They have everything inside,
including a full-sized steam locomotive that was cut in the middle to
show all the parts that made it work.

Obviously, this museum is
for technology fans, however Dortmund has other features, for other
types of tourists. For example, you'll find three, fully
reconditioned, moated castles to tour in this town. First, there is
Haus Bodelschwingh, originally constructed in the 13th century, and
reconditioned in the 19th century. Also raised in the 13th century,
Hous Delwig, the most visited of the three, presenting more original
parts, like the entire front side, the towers and two beautiful
buildings. The last one is Haus Rodenberg, a splendid moated castle.

The medieval edifices,
the Romanesque churches and the bicentennial town hall structure are
in contrast with the new city center, suspended transportation
systems and other sci-fi designs you can find in Dortmund. The parks
are peaceful and calm, the cafes are loud and energetic. This is why
this town is worth visiting, apart from its rich historical and
industrial legacy.

In Closing

One
of the best hotels in this city is the Mark Hotel
Commerz Dortmund